1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to solar panels, and in particular, solar panels positioned on a pitched roof, and a snow/ice dam bracket which is not intrusively fastened, but easily “sandwiched” or snap fit between the first and second row of the solar panels and prevents the sudden displacement of large amounts of snow/ice from the solar panels and the roof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The increase in awareness with respect to energy conservation has led to a significant increase in the use and installation of solar panels for the generation of electrical energy from renewable resources, i.e. the sun. In rural areas vast arrays of solar panels can be erected on what are termed “solar farms”, where the panels are erected and placed on frames which are directly supported by the underlying earth and oriented to make maximum use of available sunlight.
In suburban and urban areas, vacant land is not as readily available so as to lend itself to the development of solar farms. In suburban and urban areas, the most advantageous location for the placement of solar panels is normally on the roof. There therefore has been a significant increase in the installation and use of solar panels on roofs, not only of individual dwelling units, but multiple dwelling units, commercial buildings such as strip malls and larger malls, and industrial buildings, such as factories and warehouses.
In many of these installations, the roofs upon which the solar panels are mounted are flat, such as warehouses and the like, and the panels are arrayed in either a horizontal position or mounted on frames that allow for an angular mount to make more effective use of the declination of the sun's rays impacting the solar panels. In these instances, the solar panels are erected and mounted side by side and not in a vertical arrangement.
In the instance of certain dwelling units and certain commercial and industrial buildings, and churches, the roofs are pitched such that to make maximum use of solar panels, the solar panels are mounted on the roofs, but are mounted in rows or matrices to take advantage of maximum roof coverage.
The solar panels mounted as aforesaid on a pitched roof present a substantial problem which the Applicant has addressed. An array or matrix of solar panels on a pitched roof in a cold climate will accumulate snow and possibly ice on the solar panels. The snow will accumulate during a snow storm, however, as soon as the storm abates and sunlight is available, the underlying solar panels will begin to heat up regardless of the amount of accumulation of snow which covers them. This heating from solar activity will immediately begin to melt the layer of snow immediately adjacent the solar panel, which may freeze in the form of ice in non-daylight hours. This melting process will be happening simultaneously on each adjacent solar panel in the array or matrix on the pitched roof.
Depending upon the intensity of the solar activity and the length of time, large sheets of snow and possibly ice, are displaced from the solar panels under the influence of gravity on the pitched roof and the underlying melting snow such that these large sheets of snow/ice will slide over the edge of the roof.
Depending upon the surrounding geography of the building, and its layout, one of several hazardous situations may occur. (1) The sliding snow and ice may fall upon heating and air conditioning units located adjacent the base of the building, and possibly damaging same. (2) The snow and ice sheet may engage a recreational portion on the exterior of a dwelling unit, such as a deck patio area, and again damage the dwelling unit or exterior facilities, such as barbeques and the like. (3) There may be a walkway or sidewalk immediately adjacent the building and under the pitched roof, which could subject pedestrians to injuries from the falling snow or ice. (4) A parking area could be immediately adjacent the building having the pitched roof, and vehicles may be damaged from the falling snow and ice.
There therefore has been a need for some form of retainer that would prevent the slippage of snow/ice from an array or matrix of solar panels mounted on a pitched roof. One early method was to install upright barriers along their lower most edge on the pitched roof to prevent such slippage. However, these barriers when not required to prevent the slippage of snow and ice, would cast shadows onto the solar panels, blocking the sunlight, and thereby decreasing the efficiency of the solar panels. There therefore has been a need for a more efficient way to prevent the slippage of snow and ice from an array or matrix of solar panels mounted on a pitched roof without affecting the efficiency of the solar panels and allowing the solar panels to heat the snow and ice and allow for water runoff as a normal course without the significant displacement and slippage of large quantities of snow and ice.
It should be pointed out that any solution to the problem that involves the physical intrusive fastening of a device to a solar panel is unacceptable in that it would automatically void any warranty associated with the solar panel.